The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) has reported that container volumes in November 2023 totalled 230,787 TEU, a 6.6 per cent decrease from November 2022.
Full imports grew 0.7 per cent during the month, while full exports increased 5.3 per cent compared to 2022, representing the third consecutive month of improvement for both.
Year-to-date (YTD) volume comparisons fell 14 per cent YTD to 2.7 million TEU, with complete imports falling 15 per cent and full exports rising 1.3 per cent following three months of increases.
In November, two all-electric super Post-Panamax cranes and three hybrid RTG (rubber tyre gantry) cranes arrived at Terminal 5 in Seattle Harbor.
READ: NWSA container throughput recoups in August
The super Post-Panamax cranes were added to the four existing cranes. The cranes, which stand 316 feet tall and with a 240-foot outreach boom, are reportedly among the largest on the US West Coast and will allow Terminal 5 to accommodate larger vessels, enabling containerised freight development and employment creation in the region.
The Terminal 5 Modernization Program’s Phase Two is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2024. Terminal 5 will be 185 acres in size when completed, including on-dock rail and an estimated 1.2 million TEU capacity.
Domestic container volume fell 1.3 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in 2023 compared to year on year in 2022. Volumes in Alaska climbed by 1.5 per cent, while volumes in Hawaii decreased by 13.7 per cent.
In September, NWSA reported a 15.5 per cent increase in total container volumes, with 329,609 TEU handled.
Two months later, NWSA announced it will receive $54 million in grant funding from the 2023 Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).
